Method of producing and packaging gloves formed of thermoplastic foil

ABSTRACT

Method of producing and packaging gloves formed of thermoplastic material by severing from two superimposed foil sheets of thermoplastic material disposed on a paper web respective portions of the foil sheets each corresponding to half of a glove, welding together the corresponding edges of the glove-half portions except for respective edge portions which define an opening for sliding a hand into the thus formed glove, and then subdividing the paper web into sections at locations between the individual thus-formed gloves, includes folding over once the subdivided paper sections together with the respective, thusformed glove adhering thereto, and thereafter securing respective opposite marginal portions of the folded paper sections by one another so that a pouch closed on all sides thereof is formed around the glove.

[451 Dec. 16, 1975 METHOD OF PRODUCING AND PACKAGING GLOVES FORMED OFTHERMOPLASTIC FOIL [76] Inventor: Wilhelm Heisig, Pahlstr. 12,

Munich, Germany, 55

[221 Filed: July 5, 1973 [21] Appl. No.1 376,807

[52] US. Cl. 53/21 FW; 53/33; 156/226;

156/251 [51] Int. Cl 1365b 11/48 [58] Field of Search 53/21 R, 21 FW,31, 33,

53/116, 117, 206; 206/7 F, 46 AP, 58, 63.2 R, DIG. 17, DIG. 20', 229/87A, 62; 156/251,

OTHER PUBLICATIONS Sterilization of Medical Supplies with GammaRadiation" by Brownell & Rulmer, from U.N. Proceedings of Int.Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy Vol. 15, August 1955,Geneva.

Primary E.\amincrTravis S. McGehec Assismnl E.\'ann'ncr lohn SiposAllurne), Agent, or Firm-Herbert L. Lerner [57] ABSTRACT Method ofproducing and packaging gloves formed of thermoplastic material bysevering from two superimposed foil sheets of thermoplastic materialdisposed on a paper web respective portions of the foil sheets eachcorresponding to half of a glove, welding together the correspondingedges of the glove-half portions except for respective edge portionswhich define an opening for sliding a hand into the thus formed glove,and then subdividing the paper web into sections at locations betweenthe individual thus-formed gloves, includes folding over once thesubdivided paper sections together with the respective, thus-formedglove adhering thereto, and thereafter securing respective oppositemarginal portions of the folded paper sections by one another so that apouch closed on all sides thereof is formed around the glove.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FIG. 2

US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975v METHOD OF PRODUCING AND PACKAGING GLOVESFORMED OF THERMOPLASTIC FOIL The invention relates to amethod ofproducing and packaging gloves formed of thermoplastic foil material bysevering from two superimposed foil sheets of thermoplastic materialdisposed on a paper web respective portions or areas of the foil sheets,each corresponding to half of a glove, welding together thecorresponding edges of the glove-half portions except for respectiveedge portions which define an opening for sliding a hand into thethus-formed glove and then subdividing the paper web into sections atlocations between the individual thus-formed gloves.

Packaging of the gloves produced in this heretofore known manner iseffected by folding several times a respective paper web section withthe glove adhering thereto, after the excess of foil material has beenremoved, inserting the folder paper web and glove into a paper bag orpouch, and then closing the bag or pouch opening.

This type of packaging is relatively expensive as viewed both from thestandpoint of the cost of materials as well as from the standpoint ofproduction costs. It is accordingly an object of the invention toprovide a method of the foregoing type for producing and packaginggloves formed of thermoplastic foil that has been so improved as tomaterially reduce the cost of the packaging.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, inaccordance with the invention, a method of producing and packaginggloves formed of thermoplastic material by severing from twosuperimposed foil sheets of thermoplastic material disposed on a paperweb respective portions of the foil sheets each corresponding to half ofa glove, welding together the corresponding edges of the glove-halfportions except for respective edge portions which define an opening forsliding a hand into the thusformed glove, and then subdividing the paperweb into sections at locations between the individual thus-formedgloves, the improvement therein which comprises folding over once thesubdivided paper sections together with the respective, thusformed gloveadhering thereto, and thereafter securing respective opposite marginalportions of the folded paper secfi btt's to one another so that a pouchclosed on all sides thereof is formed around the glove.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, opposite marginalportions of the folded paper sections are heated while the remainder ofthe thermoplastic material portions severed from the foil sheets remainsdisposed therebetween and forms a welding seam.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, a portion issevered from the remainder of the thermoplastic material portions thatextends from the glove to the eventual location of the welding seam, andthe final portion of the remainder of the thermoplastic materialportions that extends from the eventual location of the welding seam tothe edge of the thermoplastic material portions is removed prior tofolding the respective paper sections.

In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the finalremainder of the thermoplastic material portions is removed by suction.

In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the finalremainder of the thermoplastic foil material is severed and removed fromthat part of the remainder LII 2 of the foil material that is requiredfor welding the pouch in a single operation with the severing andwelding of the foil portions forming the glove.

In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the weldingseam is disposed arcuately around the glove received in the thus-formedpouch so that the superimposed corners of the folded paper section arenot connected to one another but rather form handles or grips foropening the pouch.

In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention when thegloves must be sterile, for example, gloves that are made specificallyfor medical or surgical purposes, they can be made germ-free, forexample, by being irradiated with gamma rays while in the closedpouches.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the inventionare set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as method ofproducing and packaging gloves formed of thermoplastic foil, it isnevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, sincevarious modifications may be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents ofthe claims.

The invention, however, together with additional objects and advantagesthereof will be best understood from the following description when readin connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGS. 1 to 4 are diagrammatic views of the glove in various phases ofthe method of producing and packaging the same in accordance with theinvention.

Referring now to the drawing and first particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof,there is shown therein two superimposed foil sheets 2 and 3 of asuitable thermoplastic material disposed on a paper web 1. Respectiveportions 4 and 5 of the foil sheets 2 and 3 are severed into glovehalves, the edges of the glove halves being joined one to the other bysuitable application of heat thereto and, if necessary, by theapplication of pressure as well, except for opposite edge portionslocated at the lower edges of the thusformed glove 8 as viewed in FIG.1, those lower edges being left free so as to define an opening throughwhich a hand may be insertable into the glove 8. The paper web 1 issubdivided into paper web sections 7 by transverse cuts 6 at are made atlocations between adjacent gloves 8. The cuts 6 simultaneously slicethrough the thermoplastic foil sheets 4 and 5. Thereafter, therespective paper web section 7, in the manner shown in FIG. 3, togetherwith the glove 8 which adheres thereto, is folded along the line 9 andis closed to form a pouch 11 by an arcuate welding seam 10 in accordancewith FIG. 4. To produce the welding seam 10, the remainer 12 of the foilsheets 2 and 3, from which the glove-half portions 4 and 5 have beensevered to form the glove 8, is heated to a temperature at which itsoftens so that both portions of the remainder 12 adhere to one anotherand also to the folded opposite parts of the paper web section 7. Due tothe arcuate construction of the welding seam 10 as represented by thebroken line in FIG. 4, the corners 13 of the paper web section 7 arekept free i.e. are not caused to adhere by the softened plastic foilmaterial, so that those corners 13 can serve as handles or grips whenopening the pouch 11.

.In the view shown in FIG. 2 of a variation in the method of theinvention, the remainder of the thermoplastic foil material 12 isreduced to a narrow strip having a shape corresponding somewhat to thatof the 3 welding seam due to the severance and removal of the parts 14that are not required for welding the pouch l l.

The inventive method is especially suitable for continuous productionand packaging of gloves formed of thermoplastic material, but may,however, also be advantageously transferred to a cyclic or batch methodof operation. Instead of the pouch closing technique of the preferredtype described in the specification other pouch closure methods may besuitably employed and are encompassed within the scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. Method of producing and packaging gloves formed of thermoplasticmaterial by severing from two superimposed foil sheets of thermoplasticmaterial disposed on a paper web respective portions of the foil sheetseach corresponding to half of a glove, welding together thecorresponding edges of the glove-half portions except for respectiveedge portions which define an opening for sliding a hand into thethus-formed glove, and then subdividing the paper web into sections atlocations between the individual thus-formed gloves, the improvementtherein which comprises folding over once the subdivided paper sectionstogether with the respective, thus-formed glove adhering thereto, andheating opposite marginal portions of the folded paper sections whilethe remainder of the thermoplastic ma- 4 terial portions severed fromthe foil sheets remain disposed therebetween to form a welding seam.

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein the welding seam is disposedarcuately around the glove received in the thus-formed pouch so that thesuperimposed corners of the folded paper section remain free of weld.

3. Method according to claim 1 which includes sterilizing the contentsof the pouch after the latter has been closed.

4. Method according to claim 3 wherein the pouch contents are sterilizedby gamma ray irradiation.

5. In the method of producing and packaging gloves from two superimposedfoil sheets of thermoplastic material wherein the foil sheets aredisposed on a web of paper are welded together in a glove form by awelding seam means, and the webs cut into cross-sections, whereupon thesections to which the glove adheres in the range of the welding seam,are folded so that the glove is disposed between two paper sectionhalves; the step of welding the superimposed marginal portions of thefolded paper web sections together with the intermediately disposed foilremnants.

6. Method as claimed in claim 5 wherein foil remnants are left on themarginal portions of the paper sections.

7. Method as claimed in claim 5 wherein a strip-like connection of thefolded paper section is designed in the shape of an arc.

1. Method of producing and packaging gloves formed of thermoplasticmaterial by severing from two superimposed foil sheets of thermoplasticmaterial disposed on a paper web respective portions of the foil sheetseach corresponding to half of a glove, welding together thecorresponding edges of the glove-half portions except for respectiveedge portions which define an opening for sliding a hand into thethus-formed glove, and then subdividing the paper web into sections atlocations between the individual thus-formed gloves, the improvementtherein which comprises folding over once the subdivided paper sectionstogether with the respective, thus-formed glove adhering thereto, andheating opposite marginal portions of the folded paper sections whilethe remainder of the thermoplastic material portions severed from thefoil sheets remain disposed therebetween to form a welding seam. 2.Method according to claim 1 wherein the welding seam is disposedarcuately around the glove received in the thus-formed pouch so that thesuperimposed corners of the folded paper section remain free of weld. 3.Method according to claim 1 which includes sterilizing the contents ofthe pouch after the latter has been closed.
 4. Method according to claim3 wherein the pouch contents are sterilized by gamma ray irradiation. 5.In the method of producing and packaging gloves from two superimposedfoil sheets of thermoplastic material wherein the foil sheets aredisposed on a web of paper are welded together in a glove form by awelding seam means, and the webs cut into cross-sections, whereupon thesections to which the glove adheres in the range of the welding seam,are folded so that the glove is disposed between two paper sectionhalves; the step of welding the superimposed marginal portions of thefolded paper web sections together with the intermediately disposed foilremnants.
 6. Method as claimed in claim 5 wherein foil remnants are lefton the marginal portions of the paper sections.
 7. Method as claimed inclaim 5 wherein a strip-like connection of the folded paper section isdesigned in the shape of an arc.